Improved survival outcomes with anakinra over etoposide-based therapies for the management of adults with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: a retrospective multicenter research network study

Abstract

Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare life-threatening, hyperinflammatory syndrome for which etoposide-based regimens have historically been the standard of care. Recent reports have described positive outcomes with the utilization of ruxolitinib or anakinra although these studies are often limited to small samples. Objectives: We aimed to compare the efficacy of ruxolitinib, anakinra, and etoposide-based therapies for the management of HLH in adult patients. Design: We performed a population-based, multicenter, retrospective cohort study utilizing the TriNetX Networks database. Methods: Adult patients (⩾18 years) diagnosed with HLH who received first-line treatment with ruxolitinib, anakinra, or etoposide between 2008 and 2023 were analyzed. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) at 1 year. A 1:1 propensity-score matching analysis was utilized. Results: Anakinra ( p = 0.020) but not ruxolitinib ( p = 0.19) resulted in a significantly higher 1-year OS when compared with etoposide-based therapies. Conclusions: Anakinra is effective for the management of adult patients with HLH.